Aide: General in sex case threatened to kill her

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair. Sinclair, who served five combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been charged with forcible sodomy, multiple counts of adultery and having inappropriate relationships with several female subordinates, two U.S. defense officials said in September.

FORT BRAGG, N.C. » A former subordinate to an Army general facing sex crimes charges testified today that the general started an affair with her in Iraq and later threatened to kill her and her family if she told anyone.

The woman says she was honored at first by the attention from Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair, who she said was highly regarded. They first had sex in 2008 at a forward operating base in Iraq, she said.

"I was extremely intimated by him. Everybody in the brigade spoke about him like he was a god," she said. The AP does not name victims of alleged sexual assaults.

Now a captain, she was testifying on the second day of a military hearing at Fort Bragg, N.C., on whether there is enough evidence to court-martial Sinclair on charges including forcible sodomy, wrongful sexual conduct and engaging in inappropriate relationships.

It is a rare criminal case against a general and the details from the hearing are the first public narrative of the alleged offenses that prosecutors say involved a total of five women, four of them military subordinates and one a civilian.

During the testimony, Sinclair repeatedly rolled his eyes, sighed audibly and stared at his former aide from the defense table. She did not look at him.

The captain testified that she believed Sinclair's threats because he had gone through special forces training, knew how to kill with his hands and had a reputation as a killer in battle.

Sinclair was deputy commander in charge of logistics and support for the 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan before being abruptly relieved in May amid a criminal probe. He has been on special assignment since then at Fort Bragg, the sprawling base that is home to the 82nd Airborne.

Sinclair's former commanding officer, Maj. Gen. James Huggins, testified Monday that he launched the criminal investigation that led to the charges after the female captain told him Sinclair forced her to have sex.

Huggins said that on March 19, the captain came to his office late at night in tears. She reported that she had been involved in a three-year sexual affair with Sinclair, then her direct commander and a married man. Adultery is a crime under the military code of justice.

Huggins said he knew the female officer to be a good soldier whom Sinclair had specifically asked to have transferred under his command.

According to Huggins, the captain said Sinclair had once forced her to perform oral sex on him, but that she also had sex willingly with her boss at Army bases in the United States and on deployments to Germany, Iraq and at the airborne division's headquarters in Afghanistan.

When she had tried to end the affair, Sinclair had threatened her and persisted in pushing for sex, according to Huggins' testimony. But she also told Huggins she finally decided to report Sinclair after finding emails exchanged with other women in his account.

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Ohmygoshwrote:

I really don't get these people who are held in a position of authority and trust. Since when does "entitlement" override common decency and respect of others.

on November 6,2012 | 06:26AM

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Mythmanwrote:

A transparent sob story ruining a career combat officer's reputation with no proof other than her testimony. Where are the video tapes, recordings, eye witnesses, etc that prove her allegations? Oh, I see, preference for the lady dictates they charge the male officer on her word alone. Gee, that's fair: we can't risk ladies worrying about serving with men, now can we......

on November 6,2012 | 06:39AM

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JohhnyBwrote:

....several female subordinates.....?

on November 6,2012 | 07:57AM

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joseph007wrote:

This comment has been deleted.

on November 6,2012 | 08:03AM

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Mythmanwrote:

And Joseph, may you become a victim of an accusation and be sentenced by acclaim to a punishment without a trial finding the facts, up or down. Ahole

on November 6,2012 | 09:29AM

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Anonymouswrote:

Let me ask you this, have you ever in your life wore the uniform? If you haven't, you can simply S T F U!

on November 6,2012 | 09:35PM

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saveparadisewrote:

She willingly had sex and then claims rape? Sorry, the general is innocent until proven guilty. She was caught in adultery and needs to do this in an attempt to save her career and family.

on November 6,2012 | 07:26AM

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JohhnyBwrote:

....several female subordinates.......?

on November 6,2012 | 07:58AM

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Bullywrote:

Major general scumbag.

on November 6,2012 | 07:46AM

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Anonymouswrote:

No, read the effin article again, it was the Major General that reported the offender who was a Brigadier General.

on November 6,2012 | 09:37PM

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joseph007wrote:

This comment has been deleted.

on November 6,2012 | 08:05AM

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Mythmanwrote:

Let's see: woman = weak. Lower rank = weak. Victim of sex act = weak party of the two involved. Male = dominant. Outranked her. Etc. Read the story carefully. She was an adulterer but found "religion" to save her own job. come on folks read the story and understand it, don't pontificate based on what you "feel".

on November 6,2012 | 09:31AM

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ftaele83wrote:

this story demonstrates how screwed up soldiers can be (men and women alike). Here, you have a slighted female CPT who's whining about her demise ONLY AFTER she discovered that a MARRIED General's chit chatting online w/ other skirts! BTW, General...do your frickin job--and, if you're out in the field and have that "urge"...do AMERICA a favor by leaving the women alone and whip out your gov't issued "motion lotion" and double-time on your little pee shooter!!!

on November 6,2012 | 10:55AM

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Hahaione2000wrote:

so she only came forward after seeing evidence of his exchange with other women. so is this really about sexual assault? sounds more like she wanted him punished for seeing other people. she doesn't think about the damage done to his ex-wife?

on November 6,2012 | 10:56AM

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ftaele83wrote:

No sympathy from me for the female CPT...and esp. for the bonehead GEN. WHY on earth would the CPT file a complaint AFTER she discovered the GEN's emails to other "skirts"??? hmmmmm.... AND, GEN.--why dont you leave them women personnel alone and just simply DO YOUR JOB! IF you're not getting any from your wife...and, your feeling all "blue balsy"--why dont you simply whip out your gov't issued "motion lotion" and solo whack attack it???!!!